May be off the beaten path but my vote goes to a very important person from Dana, Indiana...Ernie Pyle. His efforts during WWII are two numerous to mention.

The country was still reeling from the sudden passing of FDR just six days prior when they heard the news of a snipers bullet hitting Ernie Pyle in the temple. Not just the everage reporter Ernie didn't report on the movements of armies or the activities of generals, he wrote from the perspective of the common soldier and their experiences during the war.